A Late Summer's Night Dream
by Lytaink Dremycran
Summary: I didn't feel like Ginny and Harry got their moment in the movie with just a quick kiss so here's a romantic story just for them.
1. Chapter 1

Ginny, Hermoine and Luna bustled around the Burrow's kitchen adding pinches of cinnamon to this bowl, chocolate chips to the next, and stirring a third batch as the scent of freshly baked cookies filled the room.

"Mmm…Cookies." Lavender Brown giggled as she wandered into the kitchen, Ron following with his arms around her waist and a goofy, teenage-boy grin on his lips. Ginny noticed Hermoine's lips twitch out of the corner of her eye but her brown haired friend covered her emotions easily with a thin smile. Ginny felt a twinge of pity for Hermoine but let it go instantly; knowing that feeling sorry for her friend would only make Hermoine feel worse.

"Chocolate chip." Luna smiled in her own airy way, not oblivious to the shift in Hermoine's mood yet focusing the couple's attention away from her. Ron's smile brightened as he reached a clumsy hand forward and captured three cookies in it. Lavender giggled in her nails on a chalkboard way as she playfully slapped Ron's hand, pretending to be disgusted with his gluttony.

Ginny walked over to the stove, ignoring the couple, as she put a soft hand on Hermoine's arm to swift for anyone else to notice in a moment of comfort. "I thought you two were in Diagon Alley for the day?" She said, her tone making the statement more of a question.

"We were." Lavender said after swallowing a bird sized bite of a cookie. "But then we decided to come back." She explained with no real explanation in her sing song voice. Ginny thought she saw Hermoine cringe by the sink but she couldn't be sure.

"Right well, we're almost done in here." Ginny said as she pushed a few strands of her red hair out of her face. Hermoine carefully waved her wand, causing the counters and dishes to begin scrubbing themselves in a magical frenzy. The friends watched in silent awe as Hermoine's spell had the kitchen clean in less then five minutes.

"Impressive." Ron grinned to his friend as he took a fifth cookie and tossed it in his mouth.

"Thanks." Hermoine murmured as she adjusted her hair and stopped the kitchen from scrubbing itself. "I think I'm going to read for a bit." She said before straightening her shoulders and striding out of the kitchen.

"Maybe we should do some reading as well." Lavender winked up at Ron with a knowing smile on her lips.

"Reading?" Ron asked, ever oblivious.

"I believe she's trying to use code for wanting to snog you." Luna offered calmly, seeming unaware of Lavender's scowl.

"Oh!" Ron laughed, his face turning a bright pink. "Let's go." He said with a smile as he pulled Lavender out of the room by her hips, his lips already catching Lavender's before they were fully out the door.

"And then there were two." Ginny sighed at Luna who had begun to twirl her hair absentmindedly.

"I think Lavender's been stealing my Pufflewings." Luna said her voice so quiet that Ginny had to lean forward to hear her clearly. "Every week one of them goes missing and they're used mostly for lust spells." She explained though Ginny thought Lavender's lust was more fueled by hormones than potions. "Perhaps I'll go check on them." Luna concluded before walking out of the room towards her borrowed bedroom in the Burrow.

"One left." Ginny frowned at her reflection in the window before deciding it might be best to leave the over-crowded house for a while. Maybe a trip to the beach would suit her for a bit.

Dressed in an emerald green one-piece bathing suit and a pair of denim shorts, Ginny walked barefooted to the beach not too far from the Burrow. It wasn't long before her feet hit the sandy floor of the beach and Ginny wandered close to the shore, sitting in the sand and stretching her creamy legs so that her toes brushed the river's tide.

Glancing around Ginny noticed an empty lifeguard's post about twenty feet away with its peeling white paint and a family of three playing in the water even farther down. She wondered for a moment what it would be like to be an only child like the girl splashing around in the water away from her but banished the thought quickly. Ginny wasn't sure what she would've done with her time if her brother's weren't there to keep her on her toes.

Lying back in the sand, Ginny felt herself relax as the dimming sun and the sound of the waves tempted to lull her to sleep. A glance to her left however, Ginny saw Harry Potter striding down the shoreline towards her. Ginny wasn't sure if Harry had seen her so she took the moment to take in his ever awe worthy appearance.

Harry was wearing tan cargo shirts and a simple white t-shirt, looking plain as ever with his messy black hair. Yet there was always that air about Harry that drew Ginny towards him. He held a regal air about him mingled with his natural kindness that still sent a chill down Ginny's back whenever she saw him.

"Ginny." Harry grinned at her when he noticed her red hair splayed across the sand. "You wanted to escape the house to?" He asked as Ginny sat up, managing a nod as she did so. "Mind if I join you?" He asked, sitting next to her in the sand as Ginny patted the spot beside her.

"I wish Lavender was gone already." Ginny said after a few moments of silence between the two had passed. There was a small pout on her lips but Ginny couldn't find herself feeling bad for sounding whiny, she wanted to vent a bit.

"It's killing Hermoine." Harry frowned in agreement, shaking his head at his best friend's silent feud and putting a friendly arm around Ginny's shoulders.

"She's been crying a lot more lately since Lavender started visiting." Ginny said quietly as she leaned into Harry. She knew it should seem odd to be so affectionate with her brother's best friend but things always flowed naturally with Harry so she put it out of her mind. "I want to say something to make her feel better but I wouldn't know what to say." She frowned helplessly.

"She leaves tomorrow." Harry said, attempting to look on the flipside of things.

"And then we leave for Hogwarts in a few days and it all starts again." Ginny huffed. Harry laughed at her for a moment, causing the tips of Ginny's ears to turn red.

"You're not one for the bright side, are you?" Harry teased as he looked down at Ginny, catching her eyes for a beat longer than usual. Ginny felt her stomach turn to goop, something she hadn't felt in the past six months. Hermoine had been trying to help her move on but maybe being in one of the most cliché romantic spots with Harry was all Ginnny needed to toss all of Hermoine's help in the trash.

Harry let his lips curl into a soft smile as he looked down at his best friend's sister, missing the way she had looked at him like that for the past six months. "Is it corny if I tell you that you're beautiful?" Harry asked teasingly.

"Yes." Ginny said with a full blown smile before instincts took over her body and lifted her lips to meet Harry's. Their bodies became a tangled knot on the sand as each teenager's hands grasped for the other's body. Harry's hands tangled in Ginny's hair as her hands pressed into the soft skin of Harry's hips.

Gasping for breath, the two parted lips and searched each other's eyes for a reaction. "Ginny." Harry sighed though it wasn't a sigh that made Ginny hopeful for another kiss. "You're Ron's little sister." He said, forcing away the urge to lunge back into another kiss.

"And you're the Boy Who Lived." Ginny countered with narrowed eyes as she pushed him out of their embrace, not wanting him to think of her as a kid in this particular moment.

"Is that all I am to you?" Harry frowned, knowing very well that he was close enough friends with Ginny to be more then just some unintentional celebrity.

"Is all I am your best friend's little sister?" Ginny asked as her face turned a stunning red color.

"You know we're friends, Ginny." Harry huffed as he pulled a hand through his hair which had become even more of a tangled mess in their few moments of passion. "Ron would kill me if he found out about this. Fred and George would kill me if they found out about this." Harry urged trying to give her a hint of understanding of what this kiss could do to their friends.

"Right, well I wouldn't want any bad blood between my big brothers and their friends." Ginny hissed with a hint of menace before standing up from the sand.

"Ginny, come on." Harry begged, reaching up to take her hand but the red haired witch was already marching across the sand with a determined air. Harry sighed as they both knew it would be fruitless to follow after her, begging for her to see his side of things as there was nothing less forgiving than a woman scorned.


	2. Chapter 2

The night had gotten colder since Ginny had been in Harry's arms on the beach, making her wish that she had brought a sweatshirt. And some shoes would've been a smart idea. Though Ginny felt her skin heat up every time she thought about what had just happened. She had waited years to kiss Harry and only seconds into said kiss he had to ruin things by bringing her family into it. Shouldn't they be happy for them liking each other anyways? Of course, Ginny knew, Ron wasn't nearly that reasonable.

Lost in her thoughts, Ginny found herself in front of the Burrow again before she knew it and quietly hurried in the door, hoping to avoid having to see anyone. But in a house as crowded as the Burrow was avoiding everyone was impossible.

"Ginny!" Ron called from the living room, a lip-swollen Lavender sitting satisfied in his lap. Ginny wondered why her parents allowed the two to carry on like they did. Maybe they were hoping that Ron would get sick of Lavender soon enough. At least, that's what Ginny was hoping. "Have you seen Harry? He disappeared." Ron said.

"I wouldn't know." Ginny said, unable to keep the red from rising to her cheeks. "Perhaps if you had come up for air between snogging you would've noticed him." Ginny offered, earning a smirk from Hermoine who was sitting quietly on the other side of the room, buried in her book and a pair of raised eyebrows from Fred and George who were standing in the doorway mumbling about their next prank.

"I was just wondering." Ron said his eyes narrowed on his sister who normally didn't develop such a bad attitude. Though with his teenage boy brain he wrote it off as a woman issue and tucked it away, deciding to focus back on Lavender instead.

Rolling her eyes, Ginny didn't offer a response before she darted up the stairs to her room which she was sharing with Hermoine and Luna for the next two days. Curling up in her bed, Ginny buried her face in her pillows before the first tears could escape. She knew it was nothing to cry over but the anger was shifting to rejection and it felt good to just let her feelings out. Growing up around so many brothers, Ginny hadn't been able to show much weakness and for once she just needed to let her emotions run their course.

It was a good fifteen minutes later before Ginny heard a knock on her door and Hermoine's voice drifted through the hard wood of the door. "Ginny?" She asked as she peeked her head in the door, the red head staying still in her bed hoping to fake sleeping. "Ginny." Hermoine repeated herself, her frown audible as she closed the door behind her and walked over to the girl's bed, sitting beside her.

"Is this how it feels when you see Ron with Lavender?" Ginny asked softly, not daring to show her tear stained cheeks and red nose.

"Only ten times worse." Hermoine joked as she leaned down and put her arms around her friend. "What happened when you were gone?" She asked and Ginny let out a shaky breath. Maybe a friend's advice would do her some good.

"I was down by the water and Harry came up and we started talking and then…" Ginny let her voice drift off as she gathered another shaky breath. "And then he asked if it'd be corny to tell me I'm beautiful. And then I said yes. And then I kissed him." Ginny concluded burying her face back into the pillow as another wave of tears spilled from her eyes.

"Did he not kiss you back?" Hermoine asked her voice layered with concern and a twinge of pity that made Ginny cringe.

"No. We kissed for a little while. Then he said that we shouldn't. That it would cause too much trouble between him, Ron, Fred, and George. I don't get it." Ginny gushed, her anger rising again. "I wait four years to get him to kiss me and when we finally do he has to go and ruin it."

"Well that's a boy for you." Hermoine frowned as she leaned forward to wrap her arms back around Ginny. "Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." She promised though she felt horrible for her friend. She'd told Ginny to move on but maybe she shouldn't so hypocritical. After all she should move on from Ron but she couldn't find the strength to do so.

"Thanks Hermoine." Ginny sniffled pathetically as she wiped her eyes and sat up, her red hair falling down her back. "I suppose I should change into some pajamas since I look silly here in my bathing suit." She laughed quietly, standing from the bed and moving over to the dresser to find a nightgown.

"I'm going to get a glass of water then I'll be back for bed." Hermoine said. "Wish me luck." She said with an eye roll, both of them knowing she'd have to pass by the living room with Lavender and Ron.

"If either of us had luck, Hermoine, Lavender would have fallen down our steps and broken her nose." Ginny winked.

"You're terrible." Hermoine chided though she couldn't find it in herself to disagree.

The next couple days passed awkwardly with empty silences between Harry and Ginny though they were so busy preparing for their return to Hogwarts that there wasn't much time to talk anyways. Of course meals were always the worst. Hermoine didn't seem to mind though with Lavender gone Ron was back to talking again. And Hermoine had made the best of her time with him, engaging in long winded talks about any subject she could interest him with.

Ginny was exhausted the day before the trip back as she had saved all her packing for that night and laid strewn across the messily closed trunk. Another day and she'd be back in the castle. Back to the boys who would pay attention to her. Letting out a defeated sigh, Ginny stood from the trunk and headed downstairs.

Hermoine and Ron were outside discussing Quidditch which Hermoine, true to form, must've done research on to even keep up with the conversation at all. Fred and George were down by the beach probably testing out a new prank. Luna had returned home for the last day before Hogwarts and Ginny's parents had left for a few last minute things.

Realizing that this left Harry and herself in the house, Ginny tried to stealth her way to the kitchen, not wanting to run into Harry. She was bent over the fridge, digging out a water bottle, when the boy in question entered through the opposite doorway. "Hey." Harry smiled awkwardly, his smile uncertain, causing Ginny to jump back.

"Oh. Hey." Ginny replied coolly as she turned her back on Harry to walk away but he reached out and took her arm. Spinning around in surprise, Ginny faced Harry and Harry could smell the scent of her shampoo.

She smelled like coconut and Harry suddenly had a new appreciation for the fruit. "I don't want things to be awkward between us, Ginny." He frowned as he released her arm though he still stood just a bit too close to her.

"Well then we can go to pretending nothing happened." Ginny suggested her face blank and emotionless before taking a sip of her water.

"That's not what I meant." Harry said cautiously, gauging Ginny's reaction though all the red haired girl could manage was an eyebrow raise. "I don't regret what happened on the beach."

"Well you fooled me." Ginny said sarcastically as she twirled the cap on her water bottle.

Taking the bottle from her hands, Harry forcefully whipped it onto the counter before taking Ginny's waist in his hands. Not giving her time for another sarcastic remark, Harry's lips met with her own.

Ginny, still shocked from him taking away her water felt her cold exterior melt in his kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck tenderly, this kiss much different than their first. This kiss was tender, searching, rather than the outburst of caged in passion on the beach. Ginny stepped back to press against the counter and Harry deepened their kiss in response, his arms firm around her waist.

The kitchen was silent as their kiss ended, their arms still wound around each other. "We have to stop meeting like this." Ginny teased as Harry kept her locked in his embrace.

"I'm crazy about you Ginny. Do you even realize how tempting you are?" Harry asked his eyes liquid as they looked into Ginny's. "I don't think we should tell people just yet. I don't want to start a fight with Ron and everyone the first day back at school."

"Are you ashamed?" Ginny asked, her tough, too cool for school exterior starting to slide back into place.

"Of course not. I just don't want to star drama when we're trying to get back into the swing of things." Harry urged. "Give it a week then we can announce it." Harry promised.

"One week." Ginny said with a small smile before standing on her toes and giving his lips another quick kiss, enjoying the idea of being able to kiss him whenever she pleased. "But any more than that and you can forget about this." She said firmly, not wanting to worry about being used by him.

"Promise." Harry grinned a goofy, boy grin. "But until than we can play the forbidden lovers role." He winked before diving into another secret, loving kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

Ginny woke with a smile on her face the next morning and noted that Hermoine had already gone downstairs, her bed made on the other side of the room. Ginny tucked lower into the blankets and let out a small, girlish squeal into the comforter. The night before had passed uneventfully between Harry and Ginny once everyone else had come in but the electricity had been so strong Ginny was surprised no one had noticed. But how could they, all of them preoccupied with going back to Hogwarts.

After she had composed herself, Ginny stepped out of bed and dressed in a simple white t-shirt and faded jeans before walking into the chaos of the Burrow's kitchen. Ron was resting with his head down on the table, Hermoine was permanently buried in her book, and Harry leaned against the counter while drinking a glass of orange juice. Ginny took advantage of the fact no one had noticed her to let her eyes linger on Harry. His black hair was still a mess from sleeping but he was dressed well in a black t-shirt and a pair of his jeans. Ginny pondered walking over to him and kissing his lips, smiling as she thought of how the oranges would taste on his lips, but decided it against it when Hermoine noticed her.

"Hey, Ginny. Ready to get back to Hogwarts?" Hermoine asked excitedly as Mrs. Weasley bustled into the kitchen while balancing a bowl of scrambled eggs, a plate of bacon, and a plate of toast. "Let me help you." Hermoine insisted as Fred and George wandered in, effectively filling the small room.

The gang of students ate breakfast in a hurry, all of them excited to go back to their school. The morning was crazy and Ginny held onto the moment she'd taken to examine Harry when she did because the two didn't have a moment of peace for the rest of the morning. After breakfast, Ginny and Hermoine went upstairs to get her trunks and Ginny wondered about confiding about the kiss to her best friend but thought better of it. For once she wanted something to have to herself and she was content with keeping their relationship a secret.

When the crowd of students had made their way to the train station and ran through the wall to the train 9¾, everyone said a teary goodbye to Mrs. Weasley before loading onto the train.

Hermoine, Ron, and Harry found a compartment together and invited Ginny to join them but Ginny declined. She was unsure she could endure a train ride to Hogwarts with Harry and not spill their secret.

Instead, Ginny found Luna and Neville talking quietly in a different compartment a car away from the golden trio. "Hey guys." Ginny said to the two as she hoisted her duffel bag onto her shoulder and then to the shelf above the seats. "How was your summer, Neville?"

"Good." Neville answered nervously as he beamed up at his red haired friend, making Ginny cringe inwardly as she sat beside Luna. "Grandma helped me with some herbology. I think she's coming around." He said happily as the train picked up steam and left the station.

"That's good. You're a natural, Neville." Ginny complimented him before a knock came on the compartment door and a red-faced Seamus stuck his head in the door.

"I was just looking for you." Seamus said happily to Ginny who sucked in an awkward breath. "Can we talk?" He asked and nodded to the hallway, leaving Ginny no chance to decline without raising questions considering the two had a fling the year before.

"How was your summer?" Ginny asked politely as Seamus closed the compartment door, leaving them cut off from the rest of the car's riders.

"Decent. I would have liked to have seen you." Seamus said with a goofy smile, reaching out to take Ginny's hand though she pulled away and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, making Seamus' smile falter.

"Yeah, I was pretty busy. Living with a big family means not a lot of visit time." She smiled effortlessly, making up an excuse though they both heard the added 'plus I didn't want to' at the end of her sentence.

"Maybe at Hogwarts we can get some time in together." Seamus said, a bit defeated though he continued to grasp for a reaction from her.

"Maybe." Ginny said with a shrug. There was an awkward silence between the two before Seamus let out a sigh and mumbled an excuse to get back to his compartment. Ginny leaned up against the frosted glass of the compartment where Neville and Luna were before deciding to get some fresh air around the train.

Walking through the cars, Ginny found herself lingering outside her brother's compartment as if mentally willing Harry to come out and see her. Realizing how ridiculous she seemed, Ginny continued to walk slowly away until she heard the slide of the glass compartment door. Whipping around, Ginny saw Harry leave the compartment and let out a small yawn. Trying to play it cool though her nerves tingled with excitement, Ginny turned away and pretended that she hadn't noticed him.

"Ginny." Harry said and Ginny could hear the smile in his voice before she turned to see his toothy grin. "I was about to steal you away but I guess you made it easy for me." He teased as he walked up to his secret love and put his arms around her waist, bending down to give her lips a kiss.

Ginny responded eagerly as she stood on her toes, the familiar tingle sent into the bottom of her stomach. The two kissed for what seemed like only a few seconds before Harry pulled away, all too soon in Ginny's opinion, and put a kiss on her forehead. "Take a walk with me." He urged, turning Ginny around and wandering through the rest of the train's cars.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked as the two walked side by side, silently agreeing not to hold hands in case someone saw them.

"I don't know. I just want to be with you." Harry said with a smile that fired a blush onto Ginny's cheeks, causing her to turn away in embarrassment. She hated the Weasley curse of blushes. "You're adorable when you do that." Harry smiled as he lightly poked her side.

"Right, of course I am." Ginny said with an eye roll. "You're just looking for an excuse for another kiss." She teased playfully.

"I need one?" Harry asked, a bit confused though his lips were locked in a smile.

"Maybe." Ginny laughed before turning away though Harry's arms caught her waist and pulled her back to him.

"I don't think so." Harry laughed in her ear before turning the red haired girl around and planting a solid kiss on her lips.

"Someone's going to catch us." Ginny protested though her hands clutched the front of his shirt.

"I'll risk it." Harry smiled against her lips before attaching for another kiss and Ginny didn't protest, her body responding with an adrenaline rush as she kissed her secret boyfriend.

"We should go back to our compartments." Ginny frowned when their lips parted, their arms still embracing each other and their breathing labored. "I'll see you at school." She smiled sadly as Harry nodded in agreement and insisted on walking her back to her compartment.

"Till school." Harry smiled and gave her forehead a light kiss before disappearing again. Sighing contently, Ginny walked back into her shared compartment with Neville and Luna.

"You were gone for a long time." Luna noted. "It must've been an interesting chat with Seamus. I personally didn't realize there was anything to interesting about him." She smiled loftily before gazing out the window. Neville said nothing, his face set in a frown as he to looked out over the passing fields.

It seemed like the rest of the train took hours as the trio sat in silence until the train stopped at Hogwarts. "Finally." Ginny breathed, glad that the silence was breaking as the other students all started scrambling for their bags at once. The three grabbed their bags before meeting Hermoine and Harry outside.

"Where's Ron?" Ginny asked as she walked over to Hermoine.

"Lavender found him." Hermoine said, her face emotionless as the five friends got into a carriage and began their ride to Hogwarts.

"Ew." Ginny said, crinkling her nose and earning a small grin from Hermoine. Ginny wondered why Hermoine bothered liking her brother. They were best friends but still, Ron was a mess to say the least and the exact opposite of Hermoine.

"My feelings exactly." Harry added as he sat between Neville, who still looked like he'd swallowed a sour grape, and Luna who seemed to be looking at nothing in the trees they passed.

The five talked idly about the upcoming feast and their classes the next day until the carriages approached the stony castle. Ginny had to keep herself in check as Harry helped her out of the carriage, a knowing smile exchanged between the two.

"Let's eat." Harry grinned as the friends made their way inside and met up with Lavender and Ron.

"Did I hear something about eating?" Ron asked with a large grin and Ginny noticed that his lips were kiss swollen. Gross. "I love this feast." Ron grinned as the gang loped inside and found the Gryffindor table, their bags already magically sent to their dormitories.

"That's makes two of us." Harry said, high-fiving his best friend before the students settled down, Dumbledore making his same long speech about the rules of the castle. Ginny couldn't help but smile as Dumbledore said the magic words the food laid out before them.

With all of their friends catching up with each other and stuffing their faces with mashed potatoes, sliced turkey breasts, and creamed spinach, Ginny snuck a few googly eyed glances at Harry. "I was thinking of taking a walk around the greenhouse later." Harry murmured to Ginny who took the hint immediately.

"About when were you thinking of taking a walk? You wouldn't want to get caught in the dark all alone." Ginny smiled before taking a bite of her mashed potatoes and gravy.

"Of course not." Harry laughed. "About nine outside the greenhouse doors." Harry said before being pulled into a conversation with Ron about this year's Quidditch team and leaving Ginny's stomach in twisted, love knots.


	4. Chapter 4

Ginny stared critically into the bathroom mirror and fixed an imaginary stray hair. She noticed with a frown that there was a small pimple forming along her jawline and ran her fingers through her hair with love-induced stress. She had waited so long for Harry to notice her and finally it was like he has realized she was a girl, not just Ron's younger sister. But of course he still had some anxiety over her being Ron's sister or else this meeting wouldn't have to be so secret.

Ginny pondered these thoughts as she made her way back to her dormitory to change into a pair of dark-washed jeans and a green tank top that was perhaps a bit too chilly for the nighttime. "Where are you off to?" Hermoine asked curiously as she laid strewn across her bed with books open.

"Just a walk." Ginny said as she slipped into a brown jacket and a pair of flats her parents had finally caved into buying for her this summer.

"Looks like more then just a walk" Hermoine said with a grin as she sat up, her books still wide open though her attention had focused on Ginny.

"What are you reading anyways?" Ginny asked in a fruitless attempt to redirect the conversation. "Classes haven't even started."

"I like to read ahead." Hermoine said simply, dismissing the pages with a wave of her hand. "Are you going out with Seamus again?" She asked nosily, something Hermoine wasn't known for. "I thought things ended badly last year."

"Yeah, its Seamus I'm meeting tonight." Ginny lied and her tongue suddenly started rattling off more lies to cover the real reason she was leaving tonight. "I just didn't thing we could handle the whole long distance thing but now that we're back together in school. I don't know." And she didn't. Ginny had no idea how she was going to weave lies like this to hide her relationship with Harry. Hopefully he'd get over the secret thing soon even if it was fun to have him all too herself.

"Good luck." Hermoine said, unswayed by Ginny's lies and turning back to her books for the night.

"Thanks." Ginny nodded before slipping out the door and through the nearly empty hallways of Hogwarts. With a quick pace it wasn't long before Ginny was darting across the lawn with her heart thumping in her ears.

Ginny finally reached the greenhouse and found with disappointment that she was alone at the meeting place. Was she on the wrong side of the building? As she carefully tiptoed towards the other side of the greenhouse, Ginny felt vine fingers curl around her ankles causing her to squeal before sealing her lips together, her eyes wide in panic

"Oh not now." She begged quietly to the plant as she maneuvered her wand from its place at her waist. A very unladylike curse escaped Ginny's mouth as she realized she hadn't the slightest idea what plant this was let alone the spell to wither it. "Please stop." Ginny begged foolishly at the plant, waving her useless wand in her hand.

"Wh-whose th-th-there?" Came a shaky voice from behind a nearby shrub. Ginny jumped backwards from the sound though the continuously tight vine held fast causing her to stumble onto her bottom just as Neville's form walked forward, wand at the ready. "Ginny?" He asked, his guard falling as he noticed the vine plant working its way up his friend's leg. "Hold still." He said and was answered with a nod from a still shocked Ginny. "Plumeima." He said with his wand pointed at the

"Neville, thank you!" Ginny smiled happily as she stood, a bit shakily, to her feet and wrapped her arms around Neville's shoulders.

"You're welcome." Neville said as a red blush worked its way across his face. "What are you doing out here this late anyways?" Neville asked as Ginny pulled back and tucked her wand away.

"I could ask you the same thing." Ginny said with a smile, not wanting to give her reasons for being here. Who knew how many lies a girl could tell before she cracked.

"I-I uhm, just like herbology. I come down here sometimes to see the plants." Neville admitted with an even brighter blush then before.

"I think you'd make a great herbologist but I have to go, Neville. Its dangerous down here." She teased.

"Do you want to walk back to Gryffindor together?" Neville offered, his face lighting up just a bit.

"Oh, no." Ginny said too quickly, Neville's face falling at the rejection. "I just, I have somewhere to go real quick but I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast." Ginny said lamely before spinning around and hurrying off in the opposite direction, leaving a very confused Neville behind her.

Carefully avoiding anymore vine plants, Ginny made her way to the other side of the building where she saw a hunched over form checking their watch. "Harry?" Ginny asked, the figured head snapping up so Ginny could make out the lightning shaped scar on his forehead. "Hey." Ginny said shyly as she walked closer to Harry, their arms finding their way around each others' waists.

"What took so long?" Harry asked as they pulled their lips away from each other though their arms remained entwined. "You're 20 minutes late."

"I'm sorry." Ginny smiled. "I had a run-in with one of the plants on the other side. Neville helped me out though." She explained before reaching up for another kiss though Harry's lips carefully dodged her own. "What?" She questioned as she pulled away again.

"Neville's out here?" Harry asked as he dropped his hands from her waist and gazed around.

"Harry are you serious?" Ginny asked, her voice rising as she folded her arms over her chest. "So what? He's probably gone by now."

"And what if he's not?" Harry countered though his voice remained calm. "Is this how you want Ron to find out? Through Neville?" He asked his red-haired girlfriend.

"No but I would like him to find out at some point. Not just fool around in gardens at night." Ginny said firmly to which Harry stepped forward to put his arms on her waist again though her figure didn't relax.

"Ginny I didn't invite you here to fight. I like being with you and if you want to tell Ron what's going on between us we will." Harry said as Ginny's shoulders relaxed.

"In a week, right?" Ginny said with an eye-roll, trying to keep up her tough demeanor tough all her body wanted to do was sink back into Harry's arms and kiss him for the rest of the night.

"If you want to do it sooner we can." Harry compromised with a smile as he gave her forehead a quick brush of his lips. "We can tell him right now if you want."

"No, not tonight." Ginny said as she finally cracked a smile, putting her arms back around him. "I have better plans for tonight." She said as she reached up to kiss him. The two settled onto the nearby bench, Harry pulling Ginny onto his lap, her legs dangling over the other side of the bench as his tongue found its way into her mouth.

With fingers curled in his messy, black hair, Ginny pushed her body closer to Harry's as the moon rose higher and higher into the sky, making room for the coming sun.


End file.
